PRINCE RUPERT - The Port of Prince Rupert and DP World celebrated a historic milestone as Fairview Container Terminal handled its millionth container (TEU) for the first time in a calendar year.

On December 18th, the millionth TEU was loaded onto the COSCO Africa with ILWU members and supply chain partners on hand to celebrate. The 40-foot container was loaded with dimensional lumber from Canfor’s Plateau mill at CN’s Prince George Transload Facility before arriving in Prince Rupert by rail.

“DP World is proud to have achieved the million TEU milestone,” said Maksim Mihic, General Manager DP World (Canada) Inc. “We congratulate and thank the men and women whose hard work and dedication made this achievement possible. This accomplishment is also a testament to the strong collaboration and support amongst the supply chain and community partners.

"We are pleased to share this historic milestone together with our partners, First Nations, ILWU, City of Prince Rupert, Prince Rupert Port Authority and CN Rail. DP World Prince Rupert is a vital link in enabling Canadian trade and this achievement reflects the potential of the port and is a sign of many more to come.”

During its first full year in operation in 2008, Fairview Terminal moved a modest 182,523 TEUs. Since then a combination of strong local longshore labour, efficient terminal management and reliable rail service have given Fairview Terminal distinct advantages to shippers that has contributed to a decade of exponential growth.

“Reaching one million TEUs in a calendar year is a significant milestone for the Port of Prince Rupert which demonstrates the success we and our partners have had in building a strategic gateway for trans-Pacific trade, making Prince Rupert one of the fastest growing gateways in North America,” said Shaun Stevenson, President and CEO of the Port of Prince Rupert.

“Reaching this milestone would not have been possible without the investment in expanding terminal capacity from DP World, and the strong partnerships with CN and the local ILWU in working together to continue to grow capacity while maintaining the speed and fluidity our shippers have come to expect.”

"CN is proud to celebrate such a historic milestone at the Port of Prince Rupert with our partners. At CN, we are committed to ensuring the gateway continues to operate with fluidity as it continues to grow," said JJ Ruest, president and chief executive officer of CN. “As all of our Supply Chain partners continue to invest in this important gateway, the Port of Prince Rupert has proven yet again, that it is a model to follow.”

DP World’s Fairview Terminal has four weekly services from all three marine carrier alliances. The terminal utilizes on-dock rail infrastructure to move goods from Asia into major North American markets and brings in-demand Canadian products to Asian markets, creating thousands of jobs throughout British Columbia and Western Canada. The Prince Rupert gateway has created new opportunity for Canadian businesses to ship their goods to Asian markets; in 2018 laden exports have increased 25 percent year over year.

The original design capacity for Fairview Terminal was 500,000 TEUs, and with the completion of the Phase II North expansion completed exactly 10 years after the day it opened, its current capacity is 1.35 million TEUs. ILWU Local 505 has seen unprecedented growth with its workforce expanding by 425 percent since the terminal opened in 2007. DP World will continue to invest in increasing terminal capacity, with the next expansion project beginning in 2019, bringing the terminal’s effective capacity to 1.8M TEUs by 2022.